you fail at teh intertubes

So we've had

"keep it in the server room" - and the GF in the kitchen?

"spending hours tweaking and patching, dropping to the command line, editing text files etc." - straight from the Windows troll scriptbook - hardly ever necessary now, but older Windows users can remember editing CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT to get their soundcards and games working - tsk, youth of today...

"Almost every linux user forum and community is filled with "Get back to your VISTA desktop saddo" type *rseholes." - might have been true pre-Ubuntu but not now

"As a user I really don't want to have to learn how to recompile an OS just to get my wifi card working " - well maybe, but unless the wifi card manufacturer provides open documentation their kit will only work initally with the OS they designed it for - and I'm rooting for the little guy/gal who reverse-engineers it and makes it work with other OS's

"I enjoy having to be all techy at work, but at home I want things easy - as do 99% of all home users" - and you call yourself a techy?

I too was once a Microserf, tugging my forelock and clapping at every crumb from the top table, but I got bored with the whole thing because it was too easy, yet too spun beyond belief. I have a Vista machine bought very cheap at home, but compared to the Linux machines I have it's all flash and no substance - worse, it's like a gorgeous woman flashing at you and then doing a Captain Jack with a chip and pin terminal when you show any interest. And there's more locks and straps under the flashy dress than in a bondage party.

"Hate windows, hate linux smart arses more. " - I predict you'll grow to hate Windows more and more. Meanwhile, on with the revolution. :wq!